{"id":2201388,"date":"2023-06-15T17:53:27","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T08:53:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2201388"},"modified":"2023-06-16T15:52:36","modified_gmt":"2023-06-16T06:52:36","slug":"how-south-korea-is-embracing-marginalized-koreans-in-russia-and-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/06\/how-south-korea-is-embracing-marginalized-koreans-in-russia-and-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"How South Korea is embracing marginalized Koreans in Russia and Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"
Ethnic Korean populations can be found in countries around the world, a legacy of widespread emigration in the 20th century, and a new South Korean government initiative seeks to address the challenges that these communities face \u2014 and perhaps even tackle the ROK\u2019s demographic problems at the same time.<\/span><\/p>\n Korean groups in Japan, Russia and Ukraine have long been marginalized by not only the countries where they live but by South Korea itself, struggling with statelessness stemming from unresolved historical issues and seeking recognition as Korean citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n Seoul has increasingly acknowledged the plight of these ethnic Koreans and begun taking steps to provide support and facilitate their repatriation.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt is the nation\u2019s responsibility to care for the Korean-Japanese, Koryo-in, Sakhalin Koreans and the miners and nurses who contributed to the country\u2019s economic growth to ensure they are not marginalized,\u201d President Yoon Suk-yeol <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> in a speech last week.<\/span><\/p>\n However, legal gray areas continue to hinder these ethnic Koreans from acquiring visas, while their long disconnection from the peninsula could pose problems for integrating into contemporary South Korean society. And experts told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that the government will need to take prompt legislative action to address some of these issues.<\/span><\/p>\n DIVIDED FAMILIES<\/b><\/p>\n In the aftermath of World War II, some <\/span>43,000<\/span><\/a> South Koreans who were forced laborers during the conflict were left stateless on Russia\u2019s Sakhalin island. The repatriation of these individuals proved to be difficult given the <\/span>complex geopolitical circumstances<\/span><\/a>, such as South Korea\u2019s lack of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.<\/span><\/p>\n Efforts<\/span><\/a> by various civic groups, including the Red Cross, eventually led the South Korean government to address the plight of the Sakhalin Koreans. The result was the enactment of the <\/span>Special Act on Assistance to Sakhalin Koreans<\/span><\/a> in 2021. To date, this act has facilitated the return of approximately <\/span>4,408<\/span><\/a> Sakhalin Koreans to their homeland.<\/span><\/p>\n However, debate persists over whether the benefits of the Sakhalin Special Law should be restricted to first-generation Sakhalin Koreans or extended to their descendants.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe scope of the Special Act on Assistance to Sakhalin Koreans is very narrow. It pertains specifically to Korean immigrants who migrated until August 15, 1945, and only permits their return along with their spouse, a direct relative and the relative\u2019s spouse,\u201d Park Young-ah, an international human rights lawyer, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n No Young-don, a law professor at Incheon University, argued for extending the current benefits to descendants during a <\/span>public hearing<\/span><\/a> on the Sakhalin Special Law, while acknowledging the government\u2019s limited fiscal resources.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEligibility for repatriation should be granted to all individuals expressing a desire to return, regardless of their generational status, to prevent new cases of separated families,\u201d No said, emphasizing the need to accommodate immediate family members of the first child given budget constraints.<\/span><\/p>\n The current law effectively prevents some Sakhalin Koreans from returning home. A <\/span>2010 study<\/span><\/a> of Sakhalin Koreans who returned to Korea permanently found that 68% of respondents were caught in a family divide, having left their children and grandchildren behind in Sakhalin upon resettlement in South Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n